The answer is to create an EBS snapshot of the compromised EC2 instance, detach the instance from the network by modifying its security group, and then stop the instance to prevent further modification. These three actions are correct because they preserve the exact state of the volume at the time of the incident, including malicious files and logs, while isolating the instance from the network to prevent data tampering or lateral movement. Stopping the instance ensures the evidence remains static for offline forensic analysis, maintaining the chain of custody as recommended by AWS. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of forensic evidence preservation in EC2, often appearing as a multi-select question where traps include rebooting the instance or taking a memory dump without isolation. A common memory tip is the “Stop, Snap, and Segregate” rule: stop the instance, snapshot the EBS volume, and segregate the network via security group changes.
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which THREE actions should be taken when preserving forensic evidence from an EC2 instance during an incident? (Select THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an EBS snapshot of all volumes.
Option B is correct because creating an EBS snapshot preserves the exact state of the volume at the time of the incident, including any malicious files, logs, or artifacts. This snapshot can be used for offline forensic analysis without altering the original evidence. AWS recommends this as a first step in forensic acquisition to maintain chain of custody.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Reboot the instance to clear any malicious processes.
Why it's wrong here
Reboot destroys volatile evidence.
✓
Create an EBS snapshot of all volumes.
Why this is correct
Snapshots preserve the disk state at a point in time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Terminate the instance to prevent further compromise.
Why it's wrong here
Termination destroys forensic data.
✓
Capture a memory dump using a tool like LiME.
Why this is correct
Memory dump captures volatile data like running processes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Detach the instance from the network by modifying the security group.
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents the attacker from tampering with evidence.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that rebooting or terminating an instance is a safe containment step, but in forensic contexts these actions destroy volatile evidence and should be avoided until after memory and disk acquisition.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
LiME (Linux Memory Extractor) is a kernel module that dumps RAM to a file, capturing running processes, network connections, and encryption keys that are lost on shutdown. EBS snapshots are point-in-time copies stored in Amazon S3, and they can be used to launch a separate forensic instance for analysis without affecting the original evidence. Modifying the security group to deny all inbound/outbound traffic isolates the instance while preserving its runtime state for memory acquisition.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an EBS snapshot of all volumes. — Option B is correct because creating an EBS snapshot preserves the exact state of the volume at the time of the incident, including any malicious files, logs, or artifacts. This snapshot can be used for offline forensic analysis without altering the original evidence. AWS recommends this as a first step in forensic acquisition to maintain chain of custody.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO steps are part of the forensic acquisition process for an EC2 instance suspected of being compromised?
hard
A.Stop the instance immediately to prevent further damage.
B.Enable termination protection on the instance.
C.Terminate the instance to ensure the threat is contained.
✓ D.Capture the instance's memory using a forensic tool.
✓ E.Create a snapshot of the root EBS volume.
Why D: Option D is correct because capturing the instance's memory using a forensic tool (such as LiME or F-Response) preserves volatile data—including running processes, network connections, and encryption keys—that would be lost if the instance were stopped or terminated. This is a critical step in the forensic acquisition process to gather evidence of compromise without altering the system state.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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This SCS-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SCS-C02 exam.
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